D&D 5E Flanking - Do you use it, and if so how?

jgsugden

Legend

• Jul 10, 2017

• #1

I'm curious if people use any flanking rules, and if so - which rules do you use?

I like having flanking in my games. It has such a historic role that the game feels like it is missing something, to me, if it does not have flanking. However, I find that granting advantage using the DMG optional rule for flanking is too much of a benefit. It is too easy to flank - I find that giving advantage for flanking means giving advantage on almost all melee attack rolls. Unless you're playing a barbarian, that is too strong.

As a DM, I settled upon a house rule where a creature that is flanked provokes OAs when it moves (unless disengaging), even if it does not leave the reach of the attackers. This allows PCs to lock down an enemy to an extent by flanking it, but doesn't mean they get advantage all the time. It works pretty well.

What are the thoughts on flanking these days?

 

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T

Triumph_Fork

First Post

• Jul 10, 2017

• #2

Flanking is powerful for PCs... But is also the same for monsters.

You have a fair point, flanking does grant a huge bonus in 5e that's easy to get. If it's so easy to obtain, why don't the monsters do it? I love it when PCs flank creature 1, then suddenly creature 2 sees his buddy in trouble and moves and flanks the player that's flanking creature 1, creating a double flank!

Point is if you have monsters with some or any intelligence, use their numbers against the party and turn the tables around!

I also use a Hex grid rather than the traditional square grid. So for me, it takes the players a bit longer to figure out where to be to actually flank the target.

 

iserith

Magic Wordsmith

• Jul 10, 2017

• #3

No flanking rules in my D&D 5e games. Advantage is too good a bonus for it in my view and I don't want to get into smaller more fiddly bonuses or too many other house rules if I can avoid it. Flanking just adds a benefit to tactical movement. I feel like that can be achieved by judicious use of special terrain that confers some kind of situational bonus from time to time.

 

ccs

41st lv DM

• Jul 10, 2017

• #4

The game I DM has flaking (advantage) for both PCS & monsters.
Works well enough imo.

The 5e game I play in only grants advantage if some class frature/spell/etc grants it.
General flanking just adds a +2 bonus to attack rolls.

 

S

Staccat0

First Post

• Jul 10, 2017

• #5

My games are mostly theater of the mind for technical reasons. I can do flanking with my system but players have a little more trouble remembering where everyone is so I don't bother.

I like the house rule in the OP a lot though. Still, if I used flanking I think a I would go with advantage. I think it'd make monsters a lot scarier. The nice thing about flanking when done well is that it encourages fun stuff like forming a circle or putting you back to a column or having the thief sneak around back for a turn.

 

Last edited: Jul 10, 2017

H

hejtmane

Explorer

• Jul 10, 2017

• #6

I am not opposed to flanking rules but since I do not use minatures in my games it makes no praticual sense to use flanking.

 

techno

Explorer

• Jul 10, 2017

• #7

I like using miniatures and having more tactical options in combat. However, I don't like the optional DMG flanking rules because flanking (with advantage) is too easy to get. My flanking house rule (which requires the expenditure of a bonus action) is:

Creatures flanking an enemy can perform a Help action as a bonus action. This allows an ally who is also flanking the enemy to attack the target (on their first attack) with advantage before the helper’s next turn.

 

Last edited: Jul 10, 2017

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WarpedAcorn

First Post

• Jul 10, 2017

• #8

Our group uses Flanking rules with a dash of the old movement rules. Flanking will provide advantage on attacks, but you can not move around an enemy without provoking an Attack of Opportunity. This makes intelligent approaches a thing. Also, I am a stickler for party members providing cover for enemies, so flankers can make things harder on the ranged people to get clear shots.

 

R

Recueillir

First Post

• Jul 10, 2017

• #9

I really don't like it. It devalues other forms of advantage, makes melee stronger, and makes combat positioning take too long/ends up weirdly.

 

Oofta

Legend

• Jul 10, 2017

• #10

I don't use flanking currently, I have thought about flanking giving just a straight +2 to attacks. Not as powerful as advantage, and can stack with advantage which in certain situations would better mimic being swarmed.

In my games it would help the monsters more than the PCs, so I haven't tried it yet.